President. − The next item is the report by Maria Badia i Cutchet, on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, on the Internet of Things (COM(2009)0278 – 2009/2224(INI)) A7-0154/2010).

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the Commission. − Madam President, with great admiration for Mrs Badia i Cutchet, I want to underline that we are on the same track and that Parliament has taken an active and important role and indeed a global view – not just a local one for this area of the world – in promoting the Internet of Things. That is quite well worded in your report, and in particular your drawing of attention to the major developments that should have a profound impact on the daily lives of European citizens in the decades ahead. I was impressed by the other Members of Parliament paying their respects to Mrs Badia i Cutchet and also underlining how important it is for European citizens.

It was rightly mentioned that it is also a matter of communication, for we have to get more attention to this very important issue. So congratulations for the pioneering role in pointing out the key challenges of the Internet of Things. I would like to repeat that the rapporteur did a great job in emphasising the number of important public policy issues.

I share her view that the European Union should ensure a regulatory and a legal framework and I recently spoke in this field of the values framework that protects the European citizen and at the same time promotes public as well as private sector investments in the Internet of Things.

For the Internet of Things to be developed effectively and deliver on its promise, we need on the one hand a public debate and on the other stable conditions for investment.

And we certainly must avoid people feeling that the Internet of Things was pushed upon them. It is not a matter of an obligation; it is a matter of getting an opportunity, a challenge, so to say, and a potential impact. It is great. We need to be conscious of the decisions that we are making and at the same time we need to give researchers and businesses a perspective for medium- to long-term investments, creating a level playing field and a set of common rules. I think that was one of those challenges that Parliament as well as the Commission is facing.

Now that an agenda has been set, it is time to roll up our sleeves, so to speak, and start implementing. We have started on this, for now is indeed the time for implementation and out of the 14 lines of action laid down in our communication on the Internet of Things, I am happy to report that several are already on their way.

A study on the environmental aspects of the radio frequency identification is going on and the institutional dialogue is well on its way. And in a longer term perspective, a first wave of eight EU-funded research projects will start this year and that will certainly create unprecedented synergies of the future.

And there are some other actions like governance of the Internet of Things, the right to the silence of the ships, privacy, data protection, standards and security that will require a sustained commitment of time and of collective effort.

And that is why I have decided to establish an expert group which will be asked to review those issues and not just to review those issues, but also others. It will be composed of representatives from civil society, industry, regulatory agencies, universities, governments. What I have in mind is that they will meet quarterly over two years and their reports on progress will of course be available to you.

In conclusion, it is all about communication now and it is, indeed, implementing what we have promised the people. And just to give a short reaction to Members, it is quite clear that the Commission has made the statement that every European should be digital in 2013 and we give that statement the status of ‘this we believe’ or rather ‘this we will do’ and ‘this we can do’. I have the privilege to be invited to the ITRE Committee and to the Committee for Culture and it is quite clear that we must communicate that this is the list to do.

There is one line that is quite obvious, that every European should be digital, and that makes certain that your worry whether that could be done is put into clear wording.

On the issue of protecting people’s data, protection is an important point in our digital agenda. It is about trust and security. If you are not giving trust then you cannot expect that people will use this phenomenon, so it is a circle in which we have to deal with all those aspects and then indeed give an opportunity that is a challenging one for the European citizen.